


Snufkin Slings Seashells by the Seashore

by roenixph0enix



Category: Mumintroll | Moomins Series - Tove Jansson
Genre: Fluff, M/M, angsty, argument, but not too much Angst, conflict then resolution, snufkin gets petty, snufmin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-12
Updated: 2019-09-12
Packaged: 2020-10-16 23:26:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20611106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roenixph0enix/pseuds/roenixph0enix
Summary: It’s not 100% serious, so don’t expect it to be(but I will still put effort into it!)based on a text post i was gonna make:[Moomin finds Snufkin at the beach, clearly up to something suss]:Moomin: Where are my shells from Snorkmaiden, Snufkin? I’ve been looking all over for them.Snufkin: [faces Moomin after throwing one final shell into the sea] I’m not sure, Moomintroll. Did you check your pillows?Moomin: I did, but all I found was a note in oddly familiar handwriting telling me that I was loved and didn’t need shells to be happy. Anyway, do you have my shells?Snufkin: [internally facepalms] No. [trips and accidentally pours several shells from his pockets like the Vine dude and his spaghetti]Things to expect:-3rd POV-clueless Moomin-Snufmin-pining-i’ll do my darndest to finish this but i make no promises!-rated G for Gneveryone, or Gneneral Audiences-Moomin fic!





	Snufkin Slings Seashells by the Seashore

**Author's Note:**

> I posted this on my Moomin/fanfic tumblr account wheat-stonks.tumblr.com originally but wanted to do it here too so that way I actually have more than one fic on here lol

Moomin had probably the second most beautiful and extensive shell collection in all of Moominvalley, save for Snorkmaiden as first and Little My as third. He had received all these gorgeous gifts from his girlfriend(the former of the two gals mentioned), and he treasured them ever so greatly, storing them in a small, birchwood boxcase with a framed-glass lid. 

Of course, he loved to show them to Snufkin every time the vagabond came over, but doing so didn’t make the Mumrik as happy as he looked to Moomin. Good ol’ Moomee, bless his heart, was clueless as a certain board game missing its pieces- meaning he completely misunderstood and missed Snufkin’s obvious attempts at wooing him.

Seriously, this dense, marshmallow-hippo-lookin’ fella didn’t even realize that our dear Crime Gnome giving him kisses and affection was more than friendly. I guess it did give Snufkin some time before his confession to smooch his suitor-to-be as much as he wanted, but it still made him Sad! 

—

After lunchtime, Snufkin sat in the sand by the seashore beside the Min of his dreams, holding Moomin’s shell box in his lap. His eyes were fixated on the loving messages written by Snorkmaiden on the wood, jealousy welling silently inside of him. 

“They’re quite lovely, aren’t they?” Moomin asked, gently nuzzling Snufkin’s shoulder with a smile. 

“Mm-hmm. I bet I could find you even lovelier gifts, though,” Snufkin replied softly, kissing Moomin on the forehead. 

“Oh? How so, Snufkin?”

“Well, I could maybe whittle you something, or I could go diving and find you the prettiest pearl I can find... There are other things, too, that don’t have to be physical objects to be gifts, though.”

Moomintroll took in that thought and ruminated on it for a little while, absentmindedly holding the Mumrik’s hand. This gentle action made Snufkin blush a bit, setting the box gently in the sand in front of Moomin. 

‘I think you’re the only gift I’d ever need,’ Snufkin thought solemnly, watching as the waves rolled in and out on the shore. ‘But I don’t know if I’ll ever get to have you...’

—

The dark of night of a moonless night finally came, and usually with such a major lack of light there came a plethora of ideas- and that’s exactly what happened to Snufkin. The green-clad traveller pulled out a notepad and pen from his bag, starting to write a note for Moomin.

“Perfect,” he cheered happily to himself, folding as neatly as his forepeets would allow. His plan was then set into action as he Skedaddled to Moomin’s house, up the ladder, and into the plush creachur’s room. With the imagined skill of a trained acrobat and the stealth of a mouse on Christmas, he swapped out the box of sea shells with the note before escaping with near ease. 

What the Crime Gremlin was unaware of, however, is the fact that Moomin had felt the switch and had Become Woke from the familiar touch of Snufkin’s hands on his skin(????). 

—

Ripples in the ever-shifting tide of the sea became quite frequent due to the bombardment of shells being Yeeted into it by a familiar, green-clad Mumrik- and the ripples were not small ones, as Snufkin’s throws were full of jealousy and rage that had been pent up within him ever since the shells had become a part of Moomin’s life. “I’ll be the replacement for these stupid shells! I’m the one he needs! I don’t glitter, and I don’t shine, but he doesn’t need that, does he? No!” he growled lowly to himself through gritted teeth, deciding to dump the shells out onto the ground and kick them far, far away. 

“Snufkin? What are you doing up this late?” came Moomin’s voice from not too far behind Snufkin. 

An odd sound left Snufkin’s lips in surprise, as he thought his Sneaking Skills™ were Perfect! No wonder he was always caught being a crime-r by the Park Keeper… “O-oh! Moomin! I was just… releasing some tension, is all, haha!” HarmonicaSlayer56 tried to play it cool, but the unfortunate truth was that Moomin had seen everything, the m-troll’s heart making his chest feel tight as he watched whom he thought was his best friend carelessly disposing of things he cared about. 

“Why…? Why would you do this?!” Moomin yelled angrily, storming over to Snufkin to wrench the box out of the Mumrik’s grasp, putting the now-empty container on the sand away from the two of them. “Why do you think it’s okay to ruin things that don’t belong to you?! Moomin Valley doesn’t need crime! It doesn’t need law-breakers or rule-breakers! It doesn’t need destruction! What is wrong with you?!”

Snufkin’s mouth hung open slightly as he saw red-hot anger flush the other creature’s face, anxiety filling him to the brim along with the heavy weight of guilt in his gut. “M-M-Moomintroll, I-“

“You what, Snufkin? Huh? What could you say to make this up to me?” At this point, the white, hippo-like creature had his back turned to the green-clad individual, his tail stiff and fluffed up in his anger. 

“I’m- I’m going to go get the shells. I’m sorry.” With those words, Snufkin dove into the sea, collecting every shell Snorkmaiden had given to Moomin as well as any others he found to sweeten the deal, in a way. When he resurfaced, he heard Moomin crying a little bit as he softly read the note Snufkin had written him aloud. 

“‘Dear Moomintroll, my ever beloved Moomin, I believe that good things are best held in memory as opposed to objects. What I am about to do is something you may hate me for, but it is something I wanted to do to show you what I meant earlier. I’m sorry, my Moomin, my love, my sweet. I know it is wrong to take things you care about away, and I have had it happen over and over, with every shell handed to you by Her. 

“‘You fall for her charms, her self-absorbed charisma, her stunning looks more and more with every single moment you spend with her. Your heart belongs to her, and my heart has been longing for yours for a very long time. I love you so much, my Moomin, my love. Sincerely yours, Snufkin.’” By the end of Moomin reading the letter out loud, the shells were back in the box and the two landlubbers were in each others’ arms, crying until they could no longer.

—

That night, the two talked out their feelings and thoughts in a more comprehensible and calm way, and they used their experience of what happened to improve their communication skills with one another and to people outside their bond. Who knew seashells held more than just pearls?

**Author's Note:**

> And so that’s the end!! It took a lot longer than it should have tbh! Sorry about that. More content coming eventually! <|:^)


End file.
